Who is Miguel? Oak tree - a true story about cork "oak" up...

Do you know who I am talking about!?

I have this friend who asked me if I knew someone called Miguel (Portuguese for Michael) because there was this American guy who was visiting Portugal with one mission: Save Miguel.

I had to think for a minute to remember myself of all the Miguel I know and then I realized how difficult it would be to find the one he was searching.

So I put myself forward to help him finding Miguel and if possible also to help saving Miguel.

Free Hugs man out to Save Miguel!

When I first saw the American guy I thought to my self: "I know this guy!". And as soon as he spoke I immediately recognized him - it was Rob Schneider!

Can you believe that!? We talk for a while and he told me he was looking for this guy called Miguel but he did not knew much more about him.

We had some drinks (it was a very hot day) and we talk about some of Rob`s movies and how much I liked them all. In the end we jumped on the adventure of searching for Miguel.

One thing I can assure you - Rob is really a great guy to hangout with, he is funny and most of all he is a very kind human being who is concerned about our future. He really is a Man on a Mission!

We Need To Save Miguel!

Now I know you are all demanding why I did not appeared in the video and the answer it is obvious: I was behind the camera. You know, I am a little shy...

After a while I was starting to demoralize myself because there were no evidences that we were going to find Miguel. But Rob never gave up, not even for a second.

He was really determined to find and help Miguel.

Rob Schneider finds Miguel!

Finally!

I can not explain to all of you the excitement and emotion we experienced the moment we finally found Miguel.

Such a lovely old cork oak tree with so much to give and yet still in danger of being killed. Rob could not control itself and he jump into Miguel`s arms for a big loving hug.

We talk with Miguel and he told us that he was not the only one needing help. I could not believe what I was hearing but after looking to Rob`s face I realized that there was nothing we could not do to help Miguel and his family.

And that was the main reason for me to make this hub and show this story to all of you out there.

I support Miguel! And you, will you support him?

Screen saver from www.savemiguel.com

This type of tree lives between 100 and 300 years and they can be
harvested every 9 or 12 years which makes them a renewable and
sustainable “fountain” of natural resources. Cork beside being a natural
material and environmentally friendly it´s also completely
biodegradable and easily recycled.

The cork oak forests (“montados”
in Portuguese) also prevent much of the consequences of forest fires
due to its thick bark they are protected from fire and heat. This is
even more important if we think that cork forests are among the higher
biodiversity places in the Mediterranean and Europe.

There are 135 other
plant species and 42 bird species (not to talk of insects) which live
in those montados and are now also endangered or even critically endangered.

What can we do to help!?

Basically,
everyone of us can start helping cork oak (Miguel) by only buying wine
with cork stoppers and never buy wine with screw caps or plastic
stoppers.

Cork vs Climate Change

Harvesting cork bark helps preventing climate changes by removing CO2 and preventing the greenhouse effect so much talked about for so many years now. Just in Portugal cork oak trees help offsetting 4.8 million tons of carbon every year and that is not all because they are also big oxygen producers.

Plant one cork oak tree right now!

For centuries cork oak trees has been the main native trees of Portugal and now they are being cut down by real estate speculators and WE got to do something against it!

Why not starting by planting a cork oat tree at Save Miguel home page, you will feel better after you done so.

LONG LIVE PORTUGUESE CORK OAKS AKA MIGUEL!

Another good way to help the cause is to spread the word! You can do that by telling your friends about it and sharing this hub with all the people you can (feel free to use the Share it link bellow, thanks).

Comments

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sending

Micky Dee 8 years ago

I'm impressed - with you and Rob Schnieder!

I think both of you are pretty real!

Keep at it!

Correen 8 years ago

Absolutely wonderful story!

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Hi Tony, thanks for supporting the cause ;-)

LOL, bgamall thanks for making me laugh and for the compliment. I remember writing this hub and thinking about how people would react to it, I&acute;m glad you like it ;-)

Gary Anderson 9 years agofrom Las Vegas, Nevada

This is a fun lens once I figured it out. Some of us are slower than others, lol. But a great hub as usual.

Tony 9 years ago

That really was a fun lens, and what a great character to meet. I bet you had a fantastic time. All in a good cause too - save the tree.

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Hey Angus, thanks for your comment :)

It&acute;s a nice feeling to know that I have helped you (and perhaps others) to better understand the importance of Portuguese cork oak. Here at Portugal we still have cork in every bottle of wine (no matter its price) and I hope it continues like that. The problem is that screwcaps has been publicize as "ecological" and unfortunately there was not any campaign to educate people around the world (until now), let`s hope this time it will reach everyone ;)

Take care

gamoneterik 9 years ago

Wow, I never knew they merely harvested the bark for the corks, leaving the tree alive and ready to be harvested again when the bark grows back! I thought corks were killing trees but I am more educated now. I recently quit drinking but when I was I would always drink red wine, mainly cleanskins which always have a screwcap. and nearly all of the low-end labelled wines do too. It's only when they reach about $20 a bottle that you get cork. Screwcaps are definitely not as romantic, too. Thanks a lot not only for enlightening me but also for a funny and entertaining read. :)

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Hi Patricia, thanks for stopping by ;-)

jewelsofawe 9 years agofrom Oregon

I love the free hugs video. Pretty cool!

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Thanks for your support WineLover.

WineLover 9 years ago

Many thanks for this. Funny and important, but also rather enjoyable reading. Well done and I'll spread the word.

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Hi Essence, thank you so much for commenting but most important for helping save the cork oak forests ;)

Essence of Meh 9 years agofrom Chicago, IL

I actually considered including this information in my Hub. Thank you for the link to your Hub. This is indeed a problem for the cork forests.

I will link to this in the body of my hub!

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Thanks anime_nanet, that´s way we have to keep "fighting" for our rights and of course for Miguel`s rights too, he and his family can´t do it by themselves ;)

anime_nanet 9 years agofrom Portugal

Nice hub funride

Os nossos sobreiros bem precisam!

Besides from the ecological point of view, we are also one of the main exporters of cork in the world. Even those reasons are not enough to greedy people that just wants to burn so they can make more money.

Christoph Reilly 9 years agofrom St. Louis

Yes. Having a reason and things you care about help make everyday vital and full!

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Hi Christoph, I didn&acute;t knew you spoke Portuguese ;)

I&acute;m sure your help to save Miguel will be most efficient and you can also be sure it will be most appreciate.

Hi Funride: tudu bem? I am one of those people who bought into the switch from cork to plastic in wine bottles as a &quot;good&quot; thing. I never had any reason to think differently. Thanks for setting me straight. I'll be sure to set others straight at every opportunity. It's just like the rainforest: If we can find sustainable uses for the things that grow there, there is a chance of saving it.

You don&acute;t have to drink wine to be able to help Miguel LOL. Cork has so many uses that goes from house isolation, clothes, fishing floats, handles for fishing rods, musical instruments, bulletin boards, bottle stoppers and it can even be used in construction mixed with concrete. But spreading the word it&acute;s already a great help and much appreciated. Thanks ;-)

Patty Inglish 9 years agofrom USA. Member of Asgardia, the first space nation, since October 2016

I don't drink alcohol, but I will pass this on to everyone I know who does.

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Thank you so much pcjunkychick ;-). That was a great help to Miguel`s cause!

Hi Chris, you&acute;re right. It&acute;s sad to watch how things tend to tilt for the money side :-/ but I hope we&acute;ll all help changing things even if just a little ;-)

cgull8m 9 years agofrom North Carolina

Great Hub Funride, sad to see they are cutting down all the natural resources for modernization. In the end humans will be the ones will suffer for this.

Thanks Lilymag, with your help and everybody else&acute;s we will save Miguel and his family!

Lilymag 9 years agofrom Upstate New York

Funride! Once again, you delivered! Wonderful hub, funny and educational! I had no idea about the problem! Thank you for educating me on the cork problem! Save Miguel!!!

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

I&acute;m glad you like it ;)

Thanks for your much appreciated support.

Compu-Smart 9 years agofrom London UK

funride! I loved this story and thanks for the education about this guy! and entertaining hub!

You have my support!:)

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Thank you so much for your nice comment, Sally.

What a strange coincidence indeed, you were probably preparing yourself for this hub :D

I have one of those cork boards on my kitchen and I also love the smell. And that&acute;s another great way to help Miguel: buying a brand new cork board ;)

Sherri 9 years agofrom Southeastern Pennsylvania

Wonderful Hub, funride. I didn't know anything about this issue until now. I love the way you built up the suspense about Miguel. I was very excited when I finally discovered he was a tree!

A very strange thing happened yesterday. Out of the blue I remembered a cork board I created on a wall in my apartment when I was in college. It had a smell I loved, and for some reason the smell and the memory were strongly in my head yesterday. And I hadn't thought about that board for years and years. Now, this morning, I find Miguel! Isn't that strange?

Thank you so much for educating us about the plight of Miguel and his family.

Your fan, Sally

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

LOL no need for headaches, good wine doesn&acute;t give you hangover :D

Thanks for taking care of Miguel ;)

Shirley Anderson 9 years agofrom Ontario, Canada

I met Miguel when I was in Spain, brought a small piece of him home with me. Never have liked the idea of screw tops on wine, just didn't know it was so important. I will do all that I can to help save Miguel, even if it means I wear lampshades and get headaches.

Thx for bringing this to our attention, Funride!

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Dear Luise, it&acute;s great to know this hub can help changing the idea that cork products are bad and should be substitute by plastic. In fact cork it&acute;s a great renewal source which can be used as long as we keep this lovely trees alive.

In The Doghouse, thanks for your support. It&acute;s really important to spread the word so that everybody become aware of this issue and willing to help saving cork oak forest.

In The Doghouse 9 years agofrom California

funride,

Such a creative way to get the word out about the importance of the cork forests in Portugal. It is amazing how many people considered the change to plastic a positive one thinking they were helping save the trees. You have given us another perspective to think on. Thanks.

Lifebydesign 9 years agofrom Australia

What a great way to promote the use of corks. I had no idea, I thought they used the screw tops to save the trees and the environment. thanks for another perspective funride!

Lisbon still preserves its beauty mainly due to the older neighborhoods which have all those things that everybody loves to watch. Unfortunately the &quot;new&quot; Lisbon has not the charm of the older one but the city grow made this inevitable.

Roberta Kyle 9 years agofrom Central New Jersey

I want to save Miguel too, Funride--had no idea until you brought it to my attention that the cork forests did so much for us and were in danger. Down with screw top wine bottles! It's a tough job but I'll do my part:-)

Thanks for commenting but most of all for helping this cause ;) . That&acute;s the problem with organizations and governments - some times I feel like they don&acute;t represent us. Maybe they are not ran by real people...

bluewings 9 years agofrom Milkyway

Great initiative,Funride! I promise I'll do my bit.Fighting global warming will become so much more easy when it's led by people instead of organizations and governments.

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Thanks Gwyn, we must keep our fight against those who only think about themselves but never about the environment and all the other living beings who also have rights.

gwyn estember 9 years ago

congrats for this great hub...i thought miguel is a refugee that needs help...but miguel is more than a refugee...but it's not only saving him, but this represents the calling that we should take care of our environment and our natural resources. our world is dying slowly..

This is one beautiful way of promoting &quot;Saving Miguel&quot; Funride. I enjoyed reading the hub. We all need to help take care of our earth. Thumbs up for a caring heart! :)

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Hi Shadesbreath, thanks for your nice comment. The thing that upsets me the most about this it&acute;s the fact that oak trees are protected here in Portugal and the only way to cut them (besides cutting them illegally) it&acute;s by deliberation from our government whenever they consider that the project for that place it&acute;s of great national strategic importance (aka luxury tourist complex our similar).

So, as you can imagine the problem resides on &quot;big money&quot; influence from real state companies and constructors (which are probably the biggest &quot;mafia&quot; here in Portugal). I&acute;m glad that now you have got logical arguments to argue with those who believe that plastic must be the future of bottle corks.

Shadesbreath 9 years agofrom California

This hub is great. You've totally opened my eyes to another possibility. My wife likes wine as do many of our friends (beer for me, thanks) and I've heard them talk about the transition over time here to the plastic corks and screwtops. Funny thing is, the way the wine lobby (or whoever is behind the transition) has spun it to sound like this: &quot;These cork trees are endangered and therefore we must switch to faux cork and screwtops.&quot; They neglect to mention that the reason the real cork is endangered is not some natural phenomenon or unsustainable tree growth, but instead because the trees are being hacked out by men. Pretty typical omission of details, half-truths for profit!

Anyway, great hub, proof that even the most random subjects make for great reading when a hub is written well and assembled as this one is. Nice work, man.

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Thank you Premsingh, your help it&acute;s much appreciated ;)

premsingh 9 years ago

Its really a noble mission and I'll try to spread the message by linking this hub.

Thanks my dear G-Ma. Your help it&acute;s much appreciated and Miguel sends you a big warm HUG. If you may I prefer to give you a big KISS instead. :-&raquo;

Merle Ann Johnson 9 years agofrom NW in the land of the Free

Nice job funride...and it wasfun......good to know about this I had no Idea..funny how we take things for granted isn't it? I will certainly help by buying only cork closed wine bottles and telling my friends..You are a dear...G-Ma :o) hugs (FREE)

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Hi Ashwin, thanks for commenting. It&acute;s great to know we can raise new and different feelings to others through our writings.

ASHWINSPGA 9 years agofrom Lion City ( Singapore)

i didnt know what reaction to give when i realized you were talking about a tree. but further reading actually made me feel kind of sad and good in an odd way. first time im feeling this way after reading something. thanks for the experience buddy. a really well written top class publish

Author

Ricardo Nunes 9 years agofrom Portugal

Thanks Zsuzsy, coming from you that was quite a compliment. You know, this was something I knew a long time ago but only this morning I found Rob&acute;s videos and I immediately start to think about making this hub. Thank you for passing the word, it means a lot to Miguel ;)

Zsuzsy Bee 9 years agofrom Ontario/Canada

Great Hub Funride. I learned a lot from you here. I really didn't know that cork came from an oak tree and mainly Portugal. It always breaks my heart when I hear of real estate taking over more and more land. In our area it's farm land that is being taken over piece by piece. Thanks for sharing I'll be sure to pass the word around about Miguel. Long live Miguel and his habitat.